Melissa Gholson
- Research Project Director
Contact Info
Personal Links
Biography —
Melissa Gholson, Ed.D., has more than 14 years of experience in developing large-scale assessments using principles of Evidence Centered Design. She has operational experience and technical expertise in designing and developing general and alternate assessments for academic content and English language proficiency.
Gholson is a Research Project Director at Accessible Teaching, Learning, and Assessment Systems (ATLAS), a research center at the University of Kansas with more than 150 staff and more than $20M in annual revenues.
As a member of the ATLAS Research and Psychometrics team, Gholson helps conduct studies and support the ATLAS research agenda and operational assessment team. Prior to joining the ATLAS, she was a research scientist at ETS in the research measurement science division where she led the test design for a state alternate English language proficiency assessment, conducted operational research, and provided technical assistance on state assessment programs.
Gholson previously served as a state assessment coordinator at the West Virginia Department of Education. She led test development activities and accessibility research, facilitated technical advisory committee meetings, and served as a governing board member on the Dynamic Learning Maps® Consortium, Smarter Balanced, and a technical advisory committee member for ELPA21.
Gholson has multiple certifications and an advanced degree in special education with experience in a variety of roles, including educator, principal, and district administrator. Her current research is on K–2 assessments for learning, supporting operational research, universal design, and postsecondary educational outcomes for students with disabilities. She has authored articles and technical reports and led presentations.
Education —
Selected Publications —
Book Chapter
Wylie E.C. & Gholson, M.L. (2023). U.S. Federal Assessment Policy Reforms in the Twenty First Century and their Impacts. The International Encyclopedia of Education, 4th Edition. ScienceDirect.
Journal Article
Buzick, H., Casabianca-Marshall & Gholson, M. (2023). Personalizing large-scale assessment in practice. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice.
Walker, M., Olivera-Aguilar, M., Laitusis, C., Lehman, B., Guzman-Orth, D. & Gholson, M. (2023) Culturally responsive assessment: Provisional principles. ETS Research Report. (Pending).
Gholson, M., Sova, L. Hauck, M. & Albee, T. (2023) Extending principles of evidence centered design in developing assessments for diverse populations. Educational Assessment. (Submitted).
Educational Testing Service. (2020). Final report for the alternate English language proficiency assessments for California pilot using cognitive lab methodology study. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education [PI: Gholson, M.].
Gholson, M. L., & Guzman-Orth, D. (2019). Developing an alternate English language proficiency assessment (AELPA) system: A theory of action (Research Report No. RR-19-25). Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service.
Saal, L. K., Gholson, M., Machtmes, K., & Machtmes, R. (2018). Associations between adults' numeracy skills and employment status: An analysis of PIAAC's U.S. dataset. Retrieved [2018, November] from PIAAC Gateway website. Washington, DC.
Michaels, H. R., Gholson, M. L., & Sheinker, J. (2018, September). ALTELLA standards prioritization process evaluation. Alexandria, VA: Human Resources Research Organization. Retrieved from University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education research, Alternate English Language Learning Assessment Project.
Shyyan, V. V., Gholson, M. L., & Christensen, L. L. (2018, June). Considerations for educators serving English learners with significant cognitive disabilities (ALTELLA Brief No. 2). Retrieved from University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, Alternate English Language Learning Assessment project.
Christensen, L. L., Gholson, M. L., & Shyyan, V. V. (2018, April). Establishing a definition of English learners with significant cognitive disabilities (ALTELLA Brief No. 1). Retrieved from University of Wisconsin–Madison, Wisconsin Center for Education Research, Alternate English Language Learning Assessment project.
Saal. L. Gholson, M., & Alharbi, F. (2018). A dream deferred? Equity, employment, & adults’ literacy skills. A paper presented which received the Early Career award at AERA Conference, New York, NY.
Gholson, M. (2016). Measuring principals’ attitudes toward poverty. A paper presented at the Articulations of Higher Education across the Globe. World Education Research Association (WERA), Baltimore, MD.
Gholson, M. (2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012). West Virginia guidelines for participation in state assessments: Guidance on accommodations for students with disabilities and/or limited English proficiency in state and district-wide testing. Charleston: West Virginia Department of Education, Office of Assessment, Research and Accountability.
Gholson, M. (2015). Rural principal’s attitudes toward poverty and the poor. Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University.
Client Reports
Educational Testing Service. (2019a). Alternate ELPAC task type specifications. Sacramento, CA: Educational Testing Service.
Educational Testing Service. (2019b). California English Language Development Connectors for the Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessments for California. Sacramento, CA: Educational Testing Service.
Educational Testing Service. (2022). Alternate ELPAC Survey results: An Interpretive Report for Educators.
Educational Testing Service. (2019c). English Language Proficiency Assessments for California accessibility resources for operational testing. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education.
Educational Testing Service. (2019d). Proposed high-level test design for the Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessments for California. Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education.
Selected Presentations —
Gholson, M., Howley, L., & Albee, T. (2022). Research to improve educational outcomes: The Alternate ELPAC survey results. Annual meeting of the California Educational Research Association (CERA), Anaheim, CA.
Gholson, M. (2022). Conceptualizations of fairness: An examination of assessment design. In Broken systems of assessment: Addressing fairness and equity challenges in special populations. [Invited speaker] Annual Meeting of National Council of Measurement in Education (NCME), April 23, 2022.
Martineau, J. & Gholson, M. (2022). Beyond DIF: Expanding methodologies to attend to intersectional identities. National Council for Measurement in Education, April 9, 2022.
Gholson, M. (2022). Reimagining accommodations. A review of the literature and future considerations for text to speech. [Paper presentation] Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA), April 25, 2022.
Gholson, M. (2022). Reimagining fairness: Designing equitable educational assessments. National Council for Measurement in Education, April 9, 2022.
Gholson, M., Karvonen, M. Bacher, K. Winter, P., Sato, E. & Marion, S. (2021). Advances in validity evidence for alternate assessments. Presented at the Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2021 National Conference on Student Assessment, June 22, 2021.
Davidson, A., Gholson, M., Guzman-Orth, D., David, K., & Sato, E. (2021). What’s a fair test? Past, present, and future of fair and equitable state assessments. Presented at the Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2021 National Conference on Student Assessment, June 21, 2021.
Gholson, M., Steinberg, J., & Albee, T. (2021). Methods for improving validity for cognitive labs using purposeful sampling procedures. National Council for Measurement in Education, June 9, 2021.
Gholson, M., Sova, L., Bacher, K., & Howley, L. (2020). Role of the pilot study using cognitive labs methodology in the design of the alternate ELPAC. Presented at the California Educational Research Association, Virtual, November 17, 2020.
Gholson, M., Davidson, A., Karvonen, M. & Spitz, D. (2020). Fifty Years of Fairness: Reflections on Past, Present and Future Directions for Supporting Fair and Equitable State Assessments. Accepted for the Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2020 National Conference on Student Assessment, Denver, CO. June 15, 2020.
Michaels, H., Gholson, M., & Sato, E. (2020). Scaffolding complex activities to strengthen the validity of next generation assessments. Presented at the Association of Test Publishers Annual Conference, Virtual, September 14, 2020.
Gholson, M. (2020). Improving fairness: Theories of action and intentional design methods. Presented at the National Council for Measurement in Education 2020 Conference, Virtual, September 10, 2020.
Gholson, M. (2020). Beyond Accommodations: Intentional Design Methods for Improving Validity When Assessing Diverse Populations. Accepted for National Council for Measurement in Education, San Francisco, CA April 19, 2020-delayed and presented September 9.
Gholson, M., Michaels, H., & Sireci, S. (2019). Supporting validity evidence and technical analysis for maintaining a fair and comprehensive state assessment system. Presented at the Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2019 National Conference on Student Assessment, Orlando, FL. June 24.
Karvonen, M., Gholson, M., Clark, A., & Wiegert, S. (2019). Measuring college and career readiness: How do we know if our alternate academic achievement standards are challenging and aligned? Presented at the Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2019 National Conference on Student Assessment, Orlando, FL. June 26.
Gholson, M., Saal, L., & Hertz, K. (2019). Unmasking barriers to adult employment: WIOA, PIAAC Numeracy Skills, and Implications for the Field. A paper presented at the annual conference of the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) April 1, 2019.
Gholson, M., & Saal, L. K. (2018). Associations between adults' numeracy skills and employment status: An analysis of PIAAC’s U.S. dataset. Do U.S. adults have the skills needed to thrive in the 21st century? 2018 AIR PIAAC research to practice conference, Arlington, VA, December 6, 2018.
Gholson, M., & Lyon, C. (2018). A logic model: Informing a theory of action for alternate English language proficiency assessments. Presented at the CCSSO Assessing Special Education Students (ASES) State Collaborative on Assessment and Students Standards (SCASS) Fall Meeting, Boston, MA, October 9, 2018.
Gholson, M., Christensen, L., Ho, M., Johnston, M., Guzman-Ort, D. (2018). Accessibility and English Language Proficiency Assessments: Where Are We Now and What’s Next? National Conference on Student Assessment, San Diego, CA June 27, 2018.
Clark, A., Gholson, M., Christmus, J., Winter, P. and Christensen, L. (2018). What Do We Know About Student with Significant Cognitive Disabilities Who Are English Learners? National Conference on Student Assessment, San Diego, CA, June 28, 2018.
Gholson, M., Karvonen, M., Michaels, H. Montez-Lindner, T. and Weigert, S. (2018). Meeting ESSA Regulation Requirements and Supporting Students on Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessments. 2018 National Conference on Student Assessment, San Diego, CA, June 27, 2018.
Gholson, M. (2018). Instructional strategies/Considerations for English learners with significant cognitive disabilities. Presented at the CCSSO ASES SCASS Winter Meeting, Miami, FL., February 21, 2018.
Gholson, M. (2018). English learners with significant cognitive disabilities: Observations and interviews. CCSSO Students with Disabilities Advisory Task Force Meeting, January 31 Dallas, TX.
Nash, B., Gholson, M., Bates, S., & Bechard, S. (2017). Impact of multidimensionality of new science standards on student performance and alternate assessment development. Presented at the Council of Chief State School Officers’ 2017 National Conference on Student Assessment, Austin, TX.
Awards & Honors —
- 2022 ETS Presidential Award for the design and development of the CA Alternate ELPAC
- 2019 Invited Researcher to Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) for the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC)
- Saal, L. K., Gholson, M., Machtmes, K., & Machtmes, R. (2018). Associations between adults' numeracy skills and employment status: An analysis of PIAAC's U.S. dataset. Retrieved [2018, November] from PIAAC Gateway website. Washington, D.C. [$10, 000]
- 2018 AERA Early Career Award
- Saal, L.K. & Gholson, M. (2018). A Dream Deferred? Equity, Employment, & Adults’ Literacy Skills: An Analysis of the U.S. PIAAC Dataset. A paper presented at the 2018 AERA Adult Literacy & Education SIG, New York, NY., April.
Grants & Other Funded Activity —
Gholson, M. (2023). ETS External Contract [$288,000].
Gholson, M. & Guzman-Orth (2022). NAEP Survey Assessments Innovation Lab (SAIL) Reimagining Fairness: NAEP Accessibility Explorations [$280,000.00].
Rikoon, S. & Gholson, M. (2022). Special Olympics International Program Evaluation [$500,000.00].
Saal, L. K., Gholson, M., Machtmes, R., & Machtmes, K. (2018). (PIs) American Institutes of Research (AIR), PIAAC Research Funding, Associations between adults’ numeracy skills and employment status: An analysis of PIAAC’s U.S. dataset. [$10,000.00].
Memberships —
- American Education for Research Association (AERA)
- National Council for Measurement in Education (NCME)